War effort garden centre gets behind blind veterans

A GARDENING centre which supplied trees to camouflage military operation in the Second World War is selling poppies in aid of Blind Veterans UK.

Hillier Nurseries in South Ockendon will be selling wild flower poppies throughout May and June to commemorate those who fell serving their country since the beginning of the First World War 100 years ago.

A total of 10,000 papaver rhoeas poppies will be sold in the company’s nurseries across the country, with 25p from each sale going to Blind Veterans UK, a charity established in 1915 as St Dunstan’s to help soldiers blinded in the battlefield.

Today, the charity still supports blind veterans by providing free, lifelong, support to them and their families, whether they lost their site in the course of their duties or not.

Hillier, which was founded 150 years ago, supplied trees to the war effort in the second global conflict to camouflage military operations.

The charity’s fundraising director Andrew Jones said: “Together we will be raising vital funds to support thousands of veterans whose lives have been seriously affected by severe sight loss.

“Every penny raised will make a real difference to those who served our country.”